Goodbye Chicago

As a boy raised in the small town of Amory, Mississippi, my fondest memories of my childhood are of adventures at my grandmother’s farm and lazy days on the lake with my family and friends...where wide open spaces are expected/neglected, and the stars light up the night sky.

I don’t reckon I ever imagined myself in a place like Chicago. But here we are.

Take a country boy to the city, and there are bound to be some stresses. But Chicago was something I did not realize I needed. In every way, it is the opposite of comfort. For crying out loud, the lines at Disney World give me nightmares... How can I survive this monstrosity that is Chicago? One answer: Emmanuel - God with us.

We experienced the lows of Covid, loneliness/homesickness, dark and long winters where memories of grief seemed to loom overhead, all-night study sessions, financial stresses, fear, doubts, sickness, and just the difficult nature of raising small kids in a big city as a full-time student and employee. Still, God was with us, repurposing it all into something beautiful.

“It is not from ourselves that we learn to be better than we are.” Wendell Berry

God blessed us with wonderful friends who eventually became family. Lily and I found our identity and purpose as a couple and welcomed twins into the world. Here, I finally graduated college, and Lily became a US Citizen! It is a place filled with cherished memories, even in the mundane. Above all, Chicago was a season of learning--learning how to trust and rest in the Lord.

We entered Chicago in our twenties, eager to prove to the world what we knew. God humbled us and, in our despair, drew us close. He taught us how to anticipate and wait for Spring in the middle of fall; not hurry past fall but simply wait with anticipation.

When colorful leaves fall from a tree, beautiful though they may be...they are indeed dying. As children of God, we are not overcome. We have been redeemed--for Christ has overcome the world. Therefore, we worship in the midst of our trials and tribulations. We sing and are at peace knowing that Spring is near, presently living inside us.